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Find out why your refund may be reduced, how we contact you and what to do.
Reasons for a reduced refund
You may receive a reduced refund for one of these reasons:
An adjustment to your tax return
This is the most common cause of a reduced refund. Reasons for adjustments include:
- Math errors. If you made mistake adding, subtracting, or entering numbers.
- Ineligible credits or deductions. If you claimed a child who’s not eligible for a credit, like the Child Tax Credit or claimed a deduction you’re not qualified for.
- Previous taxes owed. If you owe federal taxes for a prior year.
- Estimated taxes. If you underpaid your estimated taxes during the year.
Debt offset
Your refund may be reduced to pay a prior debt. This may include:
- Past-due child support
- Federal agency non-tax debts
- State income tax obligations
- Certain state unemployment compensation debt
Debt offsets are conducted by the Department of Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS). The BFS issues IRS refunds and is authorized by Congress to conduct the Treasury Offset Program (TOP).
How we notify you
If an adjustment reduced your refund
We’ll mail you a notice with details about how your refund was applied.
If a debt offset reduced your refund
The BFS will mail you a notice. The notice will show the original refund amount, your offset amount, and the agency receiving the payment.
The details of the offset aren’t provided to the IRS. Only contact the IRS if the refund amount on the BFS notice differs from the refund amount on your tax return.
If you don't receive a notice, contact the BFS at 800-304-3107 (or TTY/TDD 800-877-8339), Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
What to do if your refund was reduced
If you agree with the decision, no action is needed.
If you disagree, you can dispute the decision. Follow the instructions in the notice.
If you filed a joint return and your refund was reduced to pay your spouse’s debt, you may be entitled to get back your portion of the refund. Request injured spouse relief.